Leon Eric Rothstadt, consultant physician to the Royal Melbourne Hospital and former president of the Medical Board of Victoria was born in Melbourne on 23 February 1908. He was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne and had a distinguished undergraduate record at Melbourne University, graduating MB BS in 1931 and proceeding to the MD (Melb) in 1934.

His resident years were spent at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the beginning of a life time of service to that hospital, and he was medical superintendent from 1934-36. He originally planned to pursue a career in gastroenterology and planned the unusual course of training in both medicine and surgery gaining his Master of Surgery (Melb) in 1936. He then developed what would be a lifelong interest in cardiology and carried out research into the effects of atrial fibrillation on hypertensive heart disease and was also involved in the early development of cardiac radiology. He published papers in these areas and in that of congenital heart disease and on his return to Melbourne in 1937 was one of the earliest to employ x-ray screening in the assessment of cardiac conditions. He was appointed Alcock Research Scholar in the department of pathology, University of Melbourne and also acting outpatient physician to the Royal Melbourne Hospital. These appointments and the establishment of a consultant physician practice were interrupted by World War II. In 1937 he gained his London membership and in December 1938 the newly created MRACP with FRACP following in 1947.

In 1939 he enlisted in the AAMC, AIF and served with the 2nd AGH initially at Kantara in Egypt and in other posts both in Australia and New Guinea until 1945, achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. On returning from war service he re-established his consultant practice and was appointed outpatient physician to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1946 and then physician to inpatients from 1950-66 followed by appointment as consultant physician. In 1957 he was elected chairman of the medical staff at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He also served the Repatriation General Hospital, Heidelberg, as visiting medical officer from 1946 to 1972. His particular interest in cardiology led to his being a foundation member of the Australian Cardiac Society and he was a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Heart Foundation from 1963 to 1966.

Leon Rothstadt's particular commitment to high standards of medical practice culminated in his appointment as a member of the Medical Board of Victoria in 1962 and he served as deputy president from 1971 to 1977 and president from 1977 until his retirement from the board in 1980. He was chairman of the Specialist Practitioners Qualification Committee (Victoria) from 1977 to 1980. Leon Rothstadt was a modest man with quiet charm and great integrity. He married and had three children, two of whom entered medicine. He continued to practice medicine and read the literature widely until the time of his death on 4 November 1986.